Wheeled toy



April 10, 1928. 1,665,469

L. E. MYERS ET AL WHEBLED TOY Filed Dec. 21, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April10;. I928 E. MYERS ET AL.

WHEILED TOY FiledDec. 21. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 (imm Patented Apr. 10,1928.

UNITED STAT B PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS E. MYERS AND ARTIE C. CABLSON, OF. VALPARAISO, INDIANA, ANDCABL 8.

BATES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THENORTHERN TRUST COMPANY AND HAROLD H. ROCKWELL AS TRUSTEES.

WHEELED TOY.

"Application filed December 21, 1925. Serial 1T0. 76,597.

Our invention relates to improvements in Wheeled toys, and it moreespecially consists of the features pointed out in the annexed claims. 1

6 The purpose of ourinvention is to provide a three wheeled toy in thecoaster wagon class, whose body simulates an airplane fuselagc or theform of an animal; that has a seat for the rider to sit astride of thebody; that i has a direct connected two-pedal crank shaft rigidlyattached to the one driving wheel and loosely connected to theother;that has the driving wheels located at the front, and the steering wheelat the rear end making a 16 reversed tricycle; that in the airplane formhas a streamline fuselage, wings, rudder, landing wheels, and a steeringwheel taking the place of a tail-skid; that provides an adjustable seatin the cockpit; that is sturdy in construction and pleasing in appearance; that has self-limiting stops in its steering mechanism; thatin the airplane type combines the rudder with the steering wheel; thatcan be readily shipped in knock- 26 down shape; that provides a separateunitary wheel support on each side of the fuselage which makes provisionfor ample foot room above the pedals; and that also rovides the steeringrod and hand wheel at a a'pleasing racing appearance. I

With these and other ends in view, we illustrate in the accompanyingdrawing such instances of adaptation as will disclose "the broadunderlying features of our invention without limiting ourselves to thespecific details shown thereon and described herein.

Figure 1 is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is a top plan view.

steering control, "showing the extreme adjustment in dotted lines. IFig. 4 is a perspective view of the steering rod connection to thesteering link.

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the steering wheel detached from thebody-looking rearward.

' Fig. 6 is a front elevation of Fig. 1. I

Fig. 7 is an enlarged plan View, in section, ofthe steering rodositioned between the two halves of the b0 "y.

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic front elevation showing a central crank-shaftbearing.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation in section of the supports are bent outwardat 34 and are resteering wheel structure.

conventional angle so as to give the ensemble Fig. 3 is a diagrammaticplan view of the.

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic side elevation showing a simulated animalbody.

Fig. 11 isa'diagrammatic front elevation of modified wheel supports.

Fig. 12 is a top plan view ofthe steering wheel structure. V I

In practically carrying out our invention we may use suchalternativeexpedients as the exigencies of hard use, and the necessities ofmanufacture may demand, without departing from the spirit of ourinvention;

We may construct our wheeled toy with any suitable shaped bodyl, whichas shown in Fig. 1 simulates an airplane fuselage {and at 4-1 in Fig.10, the body of a horse. In the latter case the wings 33 may be omittedunless it is-desired to have pegasus equipped with the wings of mytholoy; It is of course obvious that the body 1 may be shaped to representdifierent animals and almostan'unhmitedvariety of objects. The body hasa seat 2 grooved 'on its underside and fastened withscrews 38 so thatits posi-' tion can be adjusted by changing the screws into other holes42, shown in dotted lines in. Fig. 1. The body is made in two halves,'asshown in Fig. 7. These halves are held together and in engagement withthe wheel supports 6 by. bolts 9, and also by the bolts 20 at the rearend of the body.

The body 1, of whatever form it may be made, is mobile through the useof a driving wheel and aloose wheel 3 placed one on each side of thebody near its front end. A steering wheel 10 supports' the rear end ofthe body and at the same time serves as a means by which the bodyis'turned 'side wise when the wheels 3 are rotated. This is'accomplishedby a one-piece crank 4 rigidly secured toone wheel and loosely'connected' to the other, and the pedals 5 mounted on the crank. Each wheel3 has its own unitary support 6 connecting it with the body. Thesesupports are curved down ward and slightly rearward terminating in crankshaft ends 7. The portions 6 and 7 form an arch, as shown in Fig. 6,that gives ample clearance for the users foot when a pedal 5 is at itshighest )oint. The straight portions 8 of the whee supports passvertically alongside of the body to which they are secured by the bolts9. When wings 33 are attached to the body, parts 8 of the wheel inforcedby braces 35 to form a support for the wings.

The steering rod 26 is located in grooves formed on the inside faces ofthe two-part body 1, as shown in Fig. 7. The upper end of the steeringrod 26 is supported in a bearing 29 and the lower end is supported in abearing 28 secured to the under side of the body, as shown in Fig. 4..Cotter pins 30 located above the bearing 29 and below the bearing 28hold the steering rod in its proper lengthwise relation, so that thesteering wheel 32 and the steering crankf27 remain in their required.position. This rod and its attached hand wheel is placed at an angle sothat the wheel will be more accessible to the user, and at the same timewill alsohave a more pleasing appearance. To further carry out thematter of appearance in simulating an airplane, we may position apropeller 36 on a bearing pin 37 at the front end of the body. Thispropeller being free to ro-- tateon the pin 37 is easily set in motionas. the wheels carry the body forward at a greater or less s eed. e

As a matter 0 safety, we have provided arbitrary limit stops so that ainovementof the steering wheel 32 cannot be so great as.

to put the rudder hard over. This is accomplished, in one direction,when the steering link 16 pivoted to the crank 27 on pin 31 engages thesteering rod 26, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3; and,'in the otherdirection, when the steering link 16 engages the steering fork 13, asshownin full lines in the right hand portion of Fig. 3. These limitstops prevent the upsetting of the device when a sharp turn is beingmade either to the right or to the left. l

It is of course understood that the steering mechanism is one of theimportant. features of our invention. The structure which is exemplifiedin the drawing comprisesa steering post 11 secured in the steering fork12 against turning. Its lower end may be riveted to the steering forkbrace 13, as shown in Figs. 5 and 9. On top of the steering fork 12 abearing boss 14 may be placed, on which the weight of the rear end ofthe body rests. A steering link bracket 15 is secured to the steeringfork 12 on its left hand side. In this connection it will be noted thatthe crank 27 of the steering A modified form of wheel supports is shownin Fig. 11, wherein these supports are-arched as indicated at 40, so asto provide additional foot room if extra clearance space is required. Afurther" alternative construction -is shown in Fig. 8 wherein a centralcrank shaft bearing 39 is attached to the underside of the body.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that our device is sturdyin construc-.

tion, unique inappearance and function and possessed of manyrecreational possibilities. It is to be understood that we may also makethe body 1 of metal, approximating a round shape in cross section, orany departure from the flat form shown.

What we. claim is: 1. As an article of manufacture, a body simulating, adesired object, a crank shaft beneath'the body at its frontend,'suitable separate unitary supports from the body to opposite endsof the crank shaft, a rigidly connected wheel and a free wheel onthecrank shaft, a trailing steering wheel pivotally attached to the rearend of the body,

an adjustable seat located on the bodybetween thefront and rear end, asteering rod and attached wheel. positioned in the body forward of theseat, andalink connecting the steering rod and the steering wheel,

105 2. In w 'eeled toys, .a one-piece body, a

respectivel on opposite sides of the body.

seat thereon, a steeringwheelforward ofthe seat,a pair of wheels beneaththe bod at its front end, supports from the whee s to the body, a crankshaft positioned in the lower ends of such supports, said shaftbeingrigidly connected to one wheel and loosely connected to the other wheel,pedals'on the crank shaft, a trailing steering wheel pivoted to the bodyfor horizontal movement, a steering rod for the steering wheel passingdiagonally through the body, connecting .means from the lower end of thesteering rod to the trailing steering wheel, and means on the steeringrod and trailing steering wheel pivot adapted to limit the steeringmovement of the steering wheel.

3. In wheeled toys, a thin single member body positioned with its narrowdimension vertical, a pair of wheels beneath the body, separate supportsfrom each wheel to the body, a crank shaft rotatable in the lower endsof such supports, pedals on the crank shaft for applying power to one ofthe IOU wheels, a seat on the body, a steering wheel for simultaneousmovement on a horizontal forward of the body, a steering rod passingplane, and means for connecting said sup- 1 diagonally through the thinbody and conport to the lower end of the steering rod. nected to thesteering wheel, a vertical pivot In testimony whereof we afiix oursignaat the rear of the body, a trailing steering tures.

wheel support movable in such pivot, a trail- LEWIS E. MYERS.

ing steering Wheel rotatable in the support, ARTIE C. CARLSON.

a simulated ru dder secured to the support CARL S. BATES.

